Tuesday, December 27, 2011

10 NIFTY HAND TOOLS FOR ANY COMPOST PILE (approved by our chickens)

My brother is not a gardener. But, each Christmas he asks what tool I'd like for a gift.
"...I'd like a snow shovel..."
"....a what?! Don't you have a tropical garden?"
"...it's for the compost pile...it might be called something else...maybe a coal shovel...."
"Uh...OK...I'll try to find you one."
And he did. Thanks, Gary!

Whatever it's called, I hope I won't have to use it for  SNOW! It's big.

Having fun playing along.

This is tool #1...a coal shovel. I'll use this fine shovel for moving compost. The hens are curious.

Left: a 4 tine cultivator is great for mixing a compost heap.
Right: a garden fork can be used to move unfinished compost

This is called a mulch fork. It's great for scooping wet leaves and finished compost.

I inherited this tool from my grandfather's farm. It's called a pick mattock.

A pick mattock is great for cutting through layers of compost and for mixing the heap.

A hand-sized garden pick can also do the job. This tool can also turn soil in a flower bed. I love it!

A sharp shooter shovel is great for any digging work like making a vermiculture(worm-turned) composting pit.

Left: Garden rake
Middle: 4 tine cultivator tool
Right: Leaf rake

Loppers serve to cut small sticks and tree limbs in a compost pile.
So did that add up to 10? I think so.
Well, that's the collection. Hope you love to compost as much as we do.
We?...why... who else would be a better help than the chickens!

Hens are happiest while in a compost pile. We work side by side.

That's right! :-)
Thank you for stopping by. David/

6 comments:

  1. Hi David :)
    I so would like to have chickens, but in suburbia this is not allowed.
    Never thought of using a coal shovel for the compost. thanks for the tip :)

    Happy Gardening,
    Evelyn

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  2. I am a lazy composter. I just usually wait the year it takes for it to decompose on its own. Bad, I know. But what I think I really need are chickens that could help me out! They look like some hard workers!

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  3. I wonder if the dog would let us keep chickens? Fun post. Some of the tools pictured are called manure scoop, spading fork, hay fork, grubbing hoe, trenching spade, yard rake and pruners here.

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  4. I have also started composting. You have very nice garden tools :-).

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  5. I am partial to a good ol' pitchfork for compost turning :-) The hottest I have ever gotten my compost pile (163 degrees smokin') is by adding chicken manure! Yea for chickens!!

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I always appreciate your comments & questions! Happy Gardening from David/ Tropical Texana

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